Sand dredged from Lake Conjola will be used to fill eroded beaches in the area, including sand dunes on the southern side of the lake entrance.
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Excess sand will also repair erosion around the Bendalong boat ramp and a stretch of Mollymook Beach near Blackwater Creek.
State Government authorities have given Shoalhaven City Council the green light to proceed with dredging of the lake, with work on track to begin in July.
Councillor Patricia White said sand would be removed from the northern side of the lake to create a deep channel west of the Cunjurong Point boat ramp.
Some of the sand would be used to fill a large hole and to rehabilitate heavily eroded sand dunes on the southern side, while the rest will be trucked to Bendalong and Mollymook via Lake Conjola Entrance Road.
Cr White said council was preparing to call for tenders for the $1.4 project which will also fund dredging works at Currambene Creek and Sussex Inlet to the north.
She said the results of dredging would be monitored to measure the success of the work.
“We will be taking sand measurements and aerial photos every three months to monitor the results to determine if we are getting value for money,” she said.
“This has never been done before, so we don’t really know what happens after the lake has been dredged.”
Cr White said sand moved to Mollymook would be used to protect homes and assets along the beachfront north of Blackwater Creek where erosion has been significant.
“A training wall will be built to protect assets, including council’s pumping station, in that area.”
She said Lake Conjola residents had been lobbying for dredging for many years in an effort to create a permanent channel to the sea.
The project will be funded by council and the State Government.